


Crumbling World

by fairygodpiggy



Series: Gladio Fluff Week 2018 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Day Four - Hair Petting, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Gladio Fluff Week 2018, Kissing, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Not Beta'd, Older!Gladio, Older!Prompto, World of Ruin, whoops turned into angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 17:47:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairygodpiggy/pseuds/fairygodpiggy
Summary: Gladio arrives in Old Lestallum as part of a supply escort team, and meets with Prompto after being apart for nearly a year. It seems like a happy reunion, but a failure during the mission weighs heavily on Gladio.





	Crumbling World

**Author's Note:**

> This one is directly connected to [Change of Plans](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14809037). It's not necessary to read that, but I would recommend checking it out.

    "Wow, your hair's gotten so long!" Prompto exclaimed as he leapt into Gladiolus's arms.  
  
    "I missed you too, Prom" Gladiolus laughed, squeezing him tight despite his exhaustion and aching muscles. He had to admit, though, the fingers currently raking through his hair felt divine.  
  
    "Ah! Yeah, I'm sorry! I missed you so much, babe." He got on the tips of his toes and pressed their lips together. It was electrifying after nearly a year apart, and they both moaned into the kiss. It ended quickly as the caravan Gladio had arrived with was still unloading supplies, and they were supposed to be helping.  
  
    When they had finished, Prompto led Gladio to his living quarters. Prompto had been residing in one of the motel rooms-turned-apartments in Old Lestallum for just over ten months as part of a team accompanying EXINERIS girls out on the field so they could safely do maintenance on the power stations. They were charged with keeping the inevitable swarms of daemons at bay while the girls worked.  
  
    The first thing Gladio did was take a warm shower - a luxury as of late - and pulled Prompto in with him. They took short breaks to touch and kiss, naked bodies sliding together enthusiastically as they washed up, knowing they couldn't waste too much hot water.  
  
    After drying off, they didn't bother with clothes, barely even making it to the bed alone.  
  
    "Gods, it's been forever." Prompto nearly sobbed as a large, callused hand wrapped around his cock and stroked him. He batted his hand away shortly after, though, and straddled Gladio's lap, taking them both in hand.  
  
    It was too much for both their oversensitive, pent-up bodies and within a couple of minutes Prompto climaxed first, spilling over his hand and Gladio's swollen head. The sight and the quick swipe of a thumb over his leaking slit had him following immediately after.  
  
    When they regained the motivation to move, they wiped themselves off and simply rolled back into bed. Gladio winced, however, when Prompto's hand accidentally pressed against his ribs. Upon examination, there was a rather sizable bruise left from battle.  
  
    "Was the escort that rough?" Prompto asked quietly, fingers ghosting over the area.  
  
    "Yeah. We ran into some Iron Giants across from the Taelpar Rest Area, and we dispatched them easily enough. But once they were down, out came four Red Giants... and two Chandravarmas. Not to mention all the flan and cryonades that came with 'em."  
  
    "You serious?" Prompto was incredulous, eyes going wide, "The four of us barely got out unscathed when we had to fight four of those things in Costlemark - and we had a stockpile of healing potions just to get us through that! How did you make it?"  
  
    Gladio shook his head, "The hunters that had been taking shelter there came out to help, and we killed the Red Giants and most of the smaller daemons, but..." He paused to take a deep breath, "Everyone was getting too weak and tired, and we couldn't risk losing everything when there was still so much ground left to cover. Getting the shipment here was more important..."  
  
    It was quiet for a long time before Gladio finally looked up at Prompto, sagging and whispering, "Taelpar is gone now."  
  
    "What?" Prompto breathed, jaw dropping.  
  
    "We crammed everyone who'd been staying there in the trucks and booked it. The Chandravarmas trampled most of the buildings trying to stop us. They're still out there..."  
  
    It was just another on a growing list of safe havens falling into ruin - behind Longwythe, Wiz's, Cauthess, and Meldacio HQ. As the years passed and the long night stretched on, darker and darker as miasma filled the skies and blocked the light, people relocated to larger and safer places, causing the smaller outposts to eventually crumple. That was what Prompto and the other hunters were trying to prevent in Old Lestallum. It was one of the few places with buildings that could shelter refugees. It was becoming tougher and tougher to repair damaged power stations in areas where daemons threatened to overrun, but it needed to be done.  
  
    Leaving powerful daemon giants to roam around the ruins of Taelpar meant that the last viable supply and travel route connecting Galdin Quay to Lestallum was severely compromised. Eventually, they would have to travel back out and take care of them, but he loss of the Taelpar Rest Area was a significant blow. Once an outpost fell, the likelihood of saving it was zero - destroyed lights and destroyed shelter made it impossible. Without safe passage, it was highly likely that Galdin Quay would fall in a matter of weeks.  
  
    The thought weighed heavily on Gladio's conscious. If he could have been stronger, if he could have lured the Iron Giants far away from the outpost in the first place... There were a lot of 'what ifs' but none of it changed the fact that in a matter of hours, they'd sealed the fate of their last outpost in Southern Leide.  
  
    "Gladio..." Prompto whispered, hovering above the weary brunet. "Do not blame yourself, please, Gladio. I can see those gears working in there."  
  
    "How can I not? I could have done things differently. I...I don't know if there'll be anything for Noct to come back to when he does come back. How much longer can we hold out at this rate?" Gladio murmured, heart aching in his chest.  
  
    Prompto pulled the larger man closer until his head was resting against his bare, pale chest. "Most we can do is try. I mean... we fended off hundreds of daemons in Zegnautus for Noct."  
  
    "We were also ten years younger then." Gladio grumbled, staring at the wall and eyes sliding out of focus.  
  
    "Sure, but we're also ten years stronger. Gladio... it isn't like you to be negative, what's- Gladio?" Prompto stopped short upon feeling hot tears hit his skin.  
  
    Gladiolus hadn't even realized he was crying until his boyfriend wiped them away. It hadn't happened since the night in the trailer, after the fall of their home. Prompto was quiet now, holding him close and combing soothing fingers through his long hair. He didn't know how long they lied that way, but Prompto's hands never stopped petting his hair, playing with the loose strands and making him drowsy. Somehow they'd make it through this hellish world - they had to for Noctis. Perhaps it was time for them to reunite with Ignis again and unleash another "rain" of terror - as Prompto so cleverly dubbed it - on the daemons.  
  
    Now, though, Gladio wanted to stay in this very spot. Despite the guilt curling in his stomach over the loss of Taelpar, this was the most content he'd felt in months. It was going to be hard to leave again, but he tried not to think of it. He focused on the gentle strokes in his hair and the strong heartbeat of his boyfriend. Eventually his eyes grew too heavy to keep opened, and the last thing he remembered feeling was the soft press of lips against his forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are loved and appreciated!
> 
> Come say hi to me!  
> | [tumblr](http://fairygodpiggy.tumblr.com/) | [art blarg](http://fairygodpiggyart.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/fairygodpiggy) |


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